Safety device for locomotives



March 16 1926.

H. R. WILLIAMSON SAFETY DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed March 29, 1924Chunk...

Patented Mar. 16,

unit-Ten era-res Parr ur orrrc s1.

HEN-RY a; wi'nLIAMson, on Arman; esteem SAFETY -DEVICE'FOR LOCOMUTIVES.

Application'filedMarch'ZB, 1924: SeriaLNo. 702,903:

To all whom z'tmay concern Be it known that I, HENRY R.- lVILLiAM- son,citizen'of theUnited States,'=residing at Atlantzu in the county ofFulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain'new and usefulImprovementsin Safety Devices for Locomotives,- of which the following"is a specification-w This invention relates" to locomotives and mor,particularlyto-means for controlling the new of-steam "from the boilerto the different devices to r be supplied:

It frequently happens that, due to acci= dent or other causes, it isdesirable-to be means-whereby a severe'shock 'to or angular displacementof the locomotive will serveto automatically shutoff the flow of: steam.

In order thatthe-invention may be readily understood,referenceis had tothe accompanying drawing, forming part of'thisspecifioation, and inwhich Figure l is -a ve-rtical, sectional elevation showing,conventionally locomotive cab and illustratingmy invention as appliedthereto 1 Figure Q is a detail vertical 1 section on i an enlargedscalethrough the steam turretand controlling valve, parts being shown inelevation;

Figure 3- is a fragmentarytransverse section o'n the' line 3-'3 ofFigure 1 and Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary detailed views on anenlarged scale, showing different positions of the parts constitutingthe valve restraining and releasing means.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the usual locomotive boiler isindicated at 1, and the cab at 2. The numeral 3 designates the usualsteam distributing box or turret from which extend a plurality of pipes4t to the various devices of the locomotive to be supplied with steam.This turret or distributing box is mounted upon and connected ln'case ofcollision=or derailment of with the boiler by means of a neck ornippjle10, projecting fromthe lower side thereof.

I propose to provide means whereby the supply of steam from the boilerto the turret or distributing box may 01%, and toythis end; I mount uponthe top oftheturretacylinder 5,-in which reciprocates an elongatedpiston-shaped valve member 6, ha'ving its lower endsha-ped to form avalve 7 arranged to cooperate with a-valve seatS, surrounding the upperopfen end-of-the nipple 10. Guide rods 9 preferably extend downwardlyfrom the lower endofthe piston member 6 tosteadythe same.

lvithinthe hollow pistOnmember' (S andcylinder 5, is located acompresslon sprin 11, the lower end' of this spring bearing against thepiston member and the upper end-bearing-against a plate 12; This plateis engaged,inturn," by the lower endfof an adjustable plug 13, screw jthreaded into a bOX at the upper end of the cylinder 5, so that byjtu-rn-in-gthis plug, the tensionon the spring 11 may be adjusted asdesired. From the above,-=it" willbe apparent that the spring 11 tendsconstantly to force the valve? towardits seat'8, or,-in other words, toclose the valve and-shut olfthe supply of steaim; p

Extending loosely down through the-plug 13,-is air'od-1 1, the lower endofwhich issecu-red 'to the bottomof the piston member 6, and-the upperend of this rod ispiv'oted to one end ofa-lever'15, itself pivotally:supported at 16 on r a standard 17, w mounted 3 on i the turret or otherconvenient part. The other end :of the lever'15- is-providedwith a hole(see Figur 5) whichis adapted; to normally engage overav pin19, carried'by a stan'c'lznd 18, mounted on -.the boiler or other suitablesupport. pr v n terposed between the lever-15 and standard'18, however, is one endofa roclg sh'aft 20, the other end ofwhioh is journaled in a bushing 21in the wall of a cab. This rock shaft, or at least the end thereofadjacent the standard 18, is of relatively flat wide cross section, asshown in Figures d and 5, and such end is provided with an opening 22,adapted to fit over the pin 19, such opening being, however,considerably larger than said Din.

The parts being in normal position, as shown in Figure d, it is obviousthat if the shaft is rocked or angularly displaced, as

be instantly cut shown in Figure 5, the end portion thereof will becanted or inclined in such a way as to push the end of lever 15 ofi ofthe pin 19, thus releasing such lever and permitting the spring 11 toimmediately throw the valve member 6 down to closed position. As shownin Figure 5, the lever 15 is slightly flexible in order to permit theend thereof to be deflected and pushed off of the pin 19, asillustrated, and it is sufficiently resilient to prevent the ordinaryvibration of the locomotive from dislodging it from the pin.

In order to operate the rock shaft and thus release the valverestraining means, I secure to the rock shaft, at a suitable point, anarm 23, and to this arm, I attach one end of a light rope or cable 24,similar to a bell cord, such rope or cable being led through a series ofeyes or guides 24, longitudinally of the cab, and anchored at its freeend to a fixed support. It is obvious, therefore, that a pull upon thecord or cable 24 will result in rocking the shaft 20 and releasing thevalve as described, and it will be noted that this cord can be graspedand pulled from any one of a plurality of positions in the cab. The cordmay be extended so as to run along the cab on both sides thereof, ifdesired, so as to be within easy reach of either member of the crew.

As above stated, I also contemplate the provision of means whereby asevere shock or overturning of the locomotive will result inautomatically releasing the steam valve. To this end, I provide a weight28 of any suitable shape, shown in Figure 1 as a ball, and connect thisweight by means of a chain 27 or the like to another arm 26, secured tothe rock shaft 20. I support the weight 28 in a suitable container,shown as a shallow cup 29, preferably located outside of the cab and onthe roof thereof. It will therefore be understood that'in case ofcollision or derailment, the ball 28 will be thrown out of the cup 29,and as it falls, will exert a pull on the chain 27, which, in turn, willactuate the rock shaft 20, and thus release the restraining means andpermit the valve to close, under the influence of the spring 11.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a single releasing meanscapable of being operated either manually or automatically, and it isthought that the many advantages of my improved arrangement will bereadily appreciated without further discussion.

that I claim is 1. The combination with the steam distributing box orturret of a locomotive, of a valve for controlling the supply of steamto said box, means constantly tending to close said valve, restrainingmeans for normally holding said valve open, automatic means, responsiveeither to shock or to angular displacement of the locomotive forreleasing said restraining means and permitting said valve to close, andmanual means independent of said automatic means for operating saidreleasing means.

2. The combination with the steam distributing box or turret of alocomotive, of a valve for controlling the supply of steam to said box,means constantly tending to close said valve, restraining means fornormally holding said valve open, a rock shaft extending longitudinallyof the locomotive cab for releasing said restraining means, andindependent manual and automatic means for operating said rock shaft.

8. The combination with the steam distributing box or turret of alocomotive, of a valve for controlling the supply of steam to said box,means constantly tending to clos saidvalve, restraining means fornormally holding said valve open, a weight separate from saidrestraining means and supported outside of said box in such manner thatit will be dislodged by shock to or angular displacement of thelocomotive, said restraining means normally functioning inclependent ofsaid weight and means whereby said weight, when thus dislodged, willoperate automatically to release said restraining means and cause saidvalve to close.

l. The combination with the steam distributing box or turret of alocomotive, of a valve for controlling the supply of steam to said box,means constantly tending to close said valve, a weight supported outsideof the locomotive cab, restraining means normally independent of saidweight for holding said valve open, means for releasing said restrainingmeans, and flexible means connecting said weight with the said releasingmeans.

In testimony whereof I affix m signature.

HENRY R. WILLIAMSON.

